Jackets fit humans differently depending on their body type. Varying amounts of excess, loosely fitting fabric will result in different locations on the jacket depending on the body shape of the wearer. When a relatively thin man wears a jacket of a given size, a significant amount of excess fabric may exist around the waist. On the other hand, when a relatively heavy man wears the same jacket, little excess fabric may exist around the waist.
In addition to body type, the fit of a jacket also depends on the number of layers of clothing and the bulk of such clothing worn under the jacket. Thus, for a single person, varying amounts of excess, loosely fitting fabric will result in different locations on the jacket depending on the clothes worn under the jacket. When the jacket is worn in relatively cold weather with several layers of bulky clothing under the jacket, little loose fabric will be present. On the other hand, when the jacket is worn in relatively warm weather with few layers of clothing under the jacket, such as only a T-shirt, excess fabric will be present on the outer layer of the jacket. In these situations, the excess fabric tends to fit loosely on the wearer and fan out from the body of the wearer in a bulky manner.
For many outdoor activities excessive, loosely fitting fabric on a jacket is not problematic. For example, when the wearer is only on a walk, there is no problem with excessive fabric around the waist and arms of the wearer. However, for other outdoor activities, excess fabric can be problematic. For example, a hunter may experience difficulty shooting a weapon with excess fabric around the arm sleeves or waist area that tends to flare outward from the body and produce bulk. This excess fabric may not only interfere with sight lines, but may also affect the firing of the weapon, such as when the excess fabric on a jacket sleeve comes into contact with a bow string. As another example, excess fabric in the jacket sleeve or waist area may interfere with the free movement of the arms of a golfer swinging a golf club.
Hunters and other outdoorsmen have conventionally used various means to reduce the bulk of excess fabric on a jacket. For example, some bow hunters carry an arm guard with straps or a compression sleeve that is configured to fit over the arm of the jacket and compress excess fabric against the arm of the wearer. However, these items are inconvenient to carry and may be easily forgotten or lost. In addition, even when a hunter remembers to carry an arm guard on his or her person, the arm guard is typically not conveniently located and capable of use on short notice. Instead, the hunter must typically retrieve the arm guard from a carrying bag and insert it over the jacket arm in order to reduce the bulk of excess fabric on the jacket arm. This process not only takes a significant amount of time, but is typically accomplished without assistance from another person.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a jacket that may be worn without interfering with outdoor sporting activities such as hunting or golf. It would be further advantageous if such jacket were adaptable to be worn by individuals of different body types. Furthermore, it would be advantageous if such jacket were configured to allow a wearer to reduce the bulk excess fabric in one or more locations on the jacket without the need for assistance by another person. Additionally, it would be advantageous if such jacket could be used in association with other equipment such as a hunting harness.